Pufferfishes, triggerfishes, and their relatives as a group are really not that similar. One thing they have in common is that they have teeth that are fused together. Generally, they don’t have much in the way of pelvic fins. Other than that, these fishes are amazingly different from one another. The body shape ranges from short and thick to long, tall and narrow.

They range in color from bright to dull and from solid to wild patterns. Some of these fishes have round foreheads and beaks, and others have a tubelike snout. Some have body armor, other have spines covering their bodies. Some produce poison, and some can blow themselves up like a balloon. Most live in the sea but at least twenty species live in freshwater. They eat plankton, algae, and invertebrates. They can live in deep or shallow waters, near corals and reefs or in estuaries.

Quite a few of the species are kept as pets either for their nice colors or for their round friendly looking faces.